Is there a DEMO version available?

We have something even better than a demo for you to enjoy: The FREE version of WP Optimal State! Download it free of charge, try it out and then decide whether to purchase the PRO version. Simply select "FREE Version" and then proceed to checkout. No credit card needed!

What's the difference between the FREE and PRO versions?

The FREE version includes basic optimization features like cleaning post revisions, spam comments, and expired transients. The PRO version adds advanced features including automated scheduling, extended backup management, autoload optimization, database repair tools, comprehensive caching options, and priority support. Try the FREE version first to experience the core functionality.

How do I upgrade from FREE to PRO version?

The upgrade process is straightforward. Simply uninstall the free version, then install the PRO version.

PLEASE NOTE: The standard upgrade procedure based on the following 8 steps involves uninstalling the free version and then installing the pro version. This will cause custom settings and database backups to be lost. Follow steps 1 and 2 closely to save a copy of these data.

KEEP YOUR DATA: To upgrade without losing any data, you need to either use an FTP client or a file explorer included in your hosting panel (e.g. cPanel or hPanel). In this case, you simply have to unzip the .zip file containing the pro version and upload the optistate folder to /wp-content/plugins/, replacing the existing folder. By replacing the files instead of deactivating and deleting the free version, all data will be preserved.

Follow these steps:

1. Export your settings to your device (Section 9. Settings Export & Import).
2. Generate and download a database backup.
3. From your dashboard, go to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
4. Find WP Optimal State FREE and click Deactivate.
5. After deactivating it, click Delete (backups and settings will be deleted as well).
6. Now, install the PRO version as usual: Plugins > Add Plugin > Upload Plugin > Select .zip file > Install Now.
7. Import your settings from your device (Section 9. Settings Export & Import).
8. Upgrade complete. Enjoy WP Optimal State Pro!

If you don't feel confident enough, please purchase PRO Version + Installation and we'll handle everything for you.

How do I install plugin updates?

The update procedure needs to be performed manually by choosing one of the two available methods. These steps are simple and take just a few minutes, requiring minimal technical knowledge. See section 2.7 of the user manual for details: 2.7. Keep the Plugin Updated.

If you are using the free version, we recommend installing it via the official WordPress plugin repository. This will allow you to update the plugin directly from your dashboard. To install it via the repository, in your dashboard go to Plugins > Add Plugin > Search Plugins > Search for “Optimal State” > Install Now & Activate.

Is WP Optimal State safe to use?

Yes, when used correctly and cautiously.

Always create a backup before any operation (especially cleanup, restore, or changing performance features). Start with low-risk operations like "One-Click Optimization" or cleaning expired transients/spam. Understand what operations marked with ⚠️ do before running them. Test on a staging site if possible.

What makes WP Optimal State different from other database optimization plugins?

WP Optimal State combines database cleanup, performance optimization, and backup management in a single interface. It features intelligent safety mechanisms including automated backup creation, operation warnings, exclusion lists for critical data, and a safe restore process with atomic table swapping. The plugin provides detailed statistics before operations and maintains optimization logs for transparency.

Performance & Results

Will this plugin significantly speed up my website's front-end?

It primarily improves backend performance (admin dashboard speed, query times) and reduces database size. Front-end speed improvements are often secondary and depend on how database-intensive your theme/plugins are. You might see a modest front-end speed boost (e.g., 5-15%), but major front-end gains usually require caching, image optimization, and code optimization. WP Optimal State complements these efforts by ensuring the database itself is efficient.

How much database space can I realistically expect to save?

This varies greatly depending on site age, content volume, plugin usage, and past maintenance:

• Sites with many post revisions or years of accumulated spam/transients can see significant reductions (20-50%+).
• Well-maintained or newer sites might see smaller reductions (5-15%).
• The biggest savings usually come from cleaning revisions, spam, transients, and optimizing table overhead.

Focus on improved performance and efficiency rather than just size reduction.

My statistics show 0 for many items, but the database size is still large. Why?

A large database size doesn't necessarily mean there's lots of cleanable junk. The size includes:

• Your actual content: Posts, pages, comments, users, media library entries (metadata), etc. WP Optimal State won't (and shouldn't) delete this.
• Data stored by plugins and themes in standard tables (e.g., WooCommerce orders in wp_posts and wp_postmeta) or their own custom tables.
• Table structure overhead and index sizes.
• Internal fragmentation within table files (especially InnoDB).

Focus on optimizing what can be cleaned (revisions, spam, transients, overhead) and use the Database Structure Analysis tool to identify unexpectedly large tables that might need further investigation (e.g., logs stored by a plugin).

I ran a cleanup, it said items were deleted, but the database size didn't change?

This is common, especially with the InnoDB storage engine.

Run "Optimize All Tables" after cleaning. This encourages the database to reclaim space. Even after optimization, InnoDB might not shrink the physical .ibd file on disk. It reuses the freed space internally for future data. The usable space has increased, even if the file size hasn't dropped. The amount of data deleted might have been small relative to the total database size.

Usage & Best Practices

How often should I run the optimizations?

Use the Automated Scheduler for consistency. Recommended manual frequencies:

• Weekly: One-Click Optimization (or equivalent safe cleanups + Optimize Tables).
• Monthly: More thorough cleanup including Autoload Optimization and Analyze/Repair Tables.
• As Needed: After major content changes, plugin removals, or if performance degrades.

Adjust based on your site's activity and hosting environment.

What's the safest way to use WP Optimal State for the first time?

Start with these steps:

1. Create a database backup using the plugin or your hosting panel.
2. Download the backup file to your computer.
3. Review the statistics to understand what will be cleaned.
4. Start with "One-Click Optimization" which targets only safe, non-critical data.
5. Monitor your site functionality immediately after.
6. Gradually explore individual cleanup operations once comfortable.

If you have a staging site, test there first before running on production.

Should I run operations during peak traffic times?

No. Always run database operations during low-traffic periods. Intensive operations like backups, restores, or table optimization can temporarily slow down your site or lock tables. Schedule automated operations for off-peak hours (typically late night/early morning in your timezone).

Safety & Data Management

Can I undo a cleanup operation if I make a mistake?

No, cleanup operations permanently delete data directly from the database (they don't use a trash bin). The only way to undo a cleanup is by restoring a database backup created before the cleanup was performed. This emphasizes the critical importance of backups.

Will cleaning operations affect my published posts, pages, or user comments?

Safe operations (those without a ⚠️ warning) are designed not to affect your live, published content. They target:

• Old versions (revisions)
• Content already in the trash (posts/comments)
• Spam comments
• Data related to deleted items (orphans)
• Temporary cache data (transients)
• Redundant data (duplicates)

Operations like "Clean Trashed Posts" or "Clean Unapproved Comments" do permanently delete that specific content, hence the warnings.

What exactly happens to the data when it's "cleaned" or "deleted"?

The plugin executes standard SQL DELETE commands. This permanently removes the specified rows from the database tables. The data is not moved to a separate trash or recoverable within the plugin itself. Recovery is only possible by restoring a database backup.

Can I get back data accidentally deleted by the plugin?

Only if you have a database backup created before the deletion occurred. Restore that backup. There is no "undo" button within the plugin.

Will this plugin delete my images or other media files?

No. WP Optimal State operates ONLY on the WordPress database. It does not interact with, modify, or delete any files in your wp-content/uploads directory (where images and media are stored) or any other theme/plugin files.

Backup & Restore

How do I restore a backup created by WP Optimal State?

Go to Section 1.1 ("Manage Existing Backups"), find the backup file in the list, click the "Restore" button next to it, and confirm the action in the pop-up modal. Ensure you select the correct backup. The plugin handles the verification and safe restore process.

Where are backups stored and can I download them?

Backups are stored in the wp-content/uploads/optistate/ directory on your server. You can download them directly from the plugin's backup management interface. Always keep downloaded copies of important backups on your local computer or cloud storage as an additional safety measure.

How long does a backup or restore take?

This depends entirely on your database size and server resources. Small databases (under 100MB) typically take seconds to a few minutes. Larger databases (300MB+) can take 10 minutes or more. If you experience timeouts, increase your server's max_execution_time setting.

Can I schedule automatic cleanups and backups?

Yes. Section 7 ("Automatic Backup and Cleaning") allows you to set a daily frequency (1-365 days) and a specific hour for the plugin to automatically create a backup and run the One-Click Optimization routine. You can also enable email notifications for these tasks.

Specific Features & Operations

What's the difference between cleaning "Expired Transients" and "All Transients"?

Expired Transients: Deletes only temporary cache entries whose designated expiration time has passed. This is generally safe and recommended for regular maintenance.

All Transients: Deletes ALL transient entries, regardless of whether they have expired. This forces regeneration of all transient caches and can temporarily slow down your site. Use this mainly for troubleshooting caching issues.

Will "Optimize Autoloaded Options" delete important settings for my theme or plugins?

It's designed not to. The plugin maintains an internal exclusion list of common critical option names (core WordPress settings, popular plugin prefixes like WooCommerce, Yoast, Elementor, etc.). It avoids changing the autoload flag for these options, even if they are large. While it's impossible to list every possible plugin option, the risk of breaking essential functionality is low. However, poorly coded plugins relying on large autoloaded data might be affected. Backup first if concerned.

Why won't the Autoloaded Options Size decrease after running the optimization?

Possible reasons:

• The largest options might be on the exclusion list (essential core/plugin settings).
• Plugins might immediately regenerate the large options that were just set to autoload = 'no'. This indicates a potentially inefficient plugin that should be investigated or replaced.
• The total size of optimizable large options was small to begin with.
• Caching might delay the statistic update (try refreshing stats).

Check the details provided after running the optimization to see which options were targeted and which were skipped.

Does the plugin clean data related to custom post types (CPTs) and custom taxonomies?

Yes. Cleanup operations targeting standard WordPress tables work universally:

• Revisions for CPTs are stored in wp_posts (post_type = 'revision') and are cleaned.
• Metadata for CPTs (custom fields) is stored in wp_postmeta and orphaned CPT meta is cleaned.
• Relationships between CPTs and custom taxonomies are stored in wp_term_relationships, and orphaned relationships are cleaned.
• Trashed CPTs are stored in wp_posts (post_status = 'trash') and are cleaned by "Clean Trashed Posts".

Does the plugin keep a detailed log of every single item deleted?

The main results display shows the count of items deleted per category immediately after an operation. A persistent Optimization Log (stored in wp-content/uploads/optistate-settings/optimization-log.json) records the type of operation performed (e.g., "One-Click Optimization", "Database Backup Created"), the timestamp, and the number of items affected if applicable, but not the specific IDs of every deleted row. For granular, row-level logging, you would need more advanced database auditing tools, which is beyond the scope of this plugin.

Compatibility & Technical

Is WP Optimal State compatible with WooCommerce?

Yes, the plugin's operations work on the standard WordPress database structure that WooCommerce utilizes. Cleaning transients, optimizing tables, and managing backups function correctly with WooCommerce installed. The "Optimize Autoloaded Options" feature includes exclusions for common WooCommerce options.

Is this plugin compatible with multisite?

No, WP Optimal State is designed for single-site WordPress installations only. It does not correctly handle the table structures (wp_1_posts, wp_2_options, etc.) used in a multisite network and should not be used on multisite installs.

Does this work on managed WordPress hosting (e.g., WP Engine, Kinsta, Flywheel)?

Generally yes, as it uses standard WordPress functions and SQL commands. However:

• Managed hosts often have their own robust caching layers; cleaning transients might have less impact or conflict if object caching (Redis/Memcached) is heavily managed by the host.
• Some hosts might restrict direct database optimization commands (OPTIMIZE TABLE, REPAIR TABLE) or have specific recommendations/tools for database maintenance.
• Aggressive Heartbeat API control might interfere with host-specific monitoring or features.

Check your hosting provider's documentation or support regarding database optimization plugins.

Could WP Optimal State conflict with caching plugins (WP Rocket, W3TC, etc.) or object cache (Redis/Memcached)?

Yes, a conflict WILL occur if you enable WP Optimal State's built-in Server-Side Page Caching or Browser Caching (.htaccess) features while another caching plugin (like WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, W3 Total Cache, etc.) is active.

Page Caching: You must choose one. DO NOT run two page caching systems simultaneously as this will cause conflicts.

Database Cleanup: The database cleanup features (like cleaning Transients, Post Revisions, etc.) are generally safe to use alongside other caching plugins. Cleaning transients may simply cause your other plugin to rebuild its cache, which is normal.

Object Cache: The plugin is compatible with object cache solutions like Redis or Memcached.

Does the plugin add its own tables to my database?

No, WP Optimal State does not create any permanent custom database tables for its own settings or logs. Settings and logs are stored as JSON files in the wp-content/uploads/optistate-settings/ directory. Temporary tables (optistate_temp_…, optistate_old_…) are created only during the database restore process and are automatically cleaned up afterward.

What specific MySQL/MariaDB database user permissions are needed?

The plugin requires the standard permissions typically granted to the WordPress database user during installation. These generally include:

• SELECT: To read data for statistics and cleanup checks.
• INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE: To perform cleanup operations.
• CREATE, DROP, ALTER, RENAME: For table optimization, repair, and the temporary table swapping during restores.
• REFERENCES, INDEX: Often needed for table operations.

If you encounter permission errors, verify the grants for the user defined in wp-config.php.

Troubleshooting

My site seems slower right after cleaning "All Transients". Is it broken?

No, this is usually expected and temporary. Cleaning "All Transients" removes active caches, forcing WordPress and plugins to regenerate them. This requires extra processing and database queries initially, causing a temporary slowdown. Performance should return to normal (or improve) as caches rebuild naturally through site usage. Avoid cleaning "All Transients" unless troubleshooting specific caching issues; use "Expired Transients" for routine maintenance.

I'm getting "Out of Memory" errors during operations. What should I do?

The operation requires more RAM than your server's PHP configuration allows.

Increase the PHP memory_limit. Contact your hosting provider or try setting it via wp-config.php (e.g., define('WP_MEMORY_LIMIT', '256M');), .htaccess, or php.ini / MultiPHP INI Editor in cPanel. Start with 256M or 512M.

For cleanups, process fewer items at once (clean individually instead of One-Click). For backups/restores on very large sites, consider server-level tools (mysqldump) or specialized backup plugins designed for large sites.

Operations are timing out (e.g., backup, restore, optimize). How can I fix this?

The operation takes longer than the server's maximum script execution time.

Increase the PHP max_execution_time. Contact your hosting provider or try setting it via wp-config.php (e.g., @ini_set('max_execution_time', '300'); for 5 minutes), .htaccess, or php.ini.

Run operations during low-traffic periods when the server is less busy. For cleanups, process fewer items at once. Use WP-CLI for potentially faster execution without web server timeouts.

I activated the plugin, but the "Optimal State" menu item doesn't appear, or the page is blank/errors out.

Possible causes:

• Permissions: Ensure you are logged in as an Administrator.
• PHP Version: Double-check your server is running PHP 7.4 or higher. Older versions will cause fatal errors.
• Plugin Conflict: Temporarily deactivate all other plugins and switch to a default theme (like Twenty Twenty-Three) to see if the menu appears. If it does, reactivate plugins one by one to find the conflict.
• Incomplete Installation: Try deactivating, deleting, and reinstalling the plugin.
• File Permissions: Less likely, but server file permission issues could prevent plugin files from loading.
• Check Error Logs: Enable WP_DEBUG or check server PHP error logs for specific fatal errors.

Advanced Usage

What's the practical limit on database size for this plugin? Can it handle 1GB+ databases?

There's no hardcoded limit. However, performance depends heavily on server resources (CPU, RAM, disk I/O) and configuration (PHP timeouts, memory limits, MySQL tuning).

Large Databases (e.g., 500MB+): Operations like backups, restores, table optimization, and scanning for orphans/duplicates will take significantly longer and are more likely to hit server timeouts or memory limits.

Recommendations for Large DBs:

• Ensure high max_execution_time and memory_limit.
• Run operations during very low traffic periods.
• Consider using WP-CLI for optimization tasks if web-based operations time out.
• Backup/Restore might be more reliably handled by server-level tools (like mysqldump command line or hosting panel backups) for very large databases, although WP Optimal State's restore includes safety features like the atomic swap.

Is it truly safe to use this on a live production site?

Yes, if you follow safety precautions:

• Backup First: Non-negotiable. Ensure you have a recent, downloadable backup.
• Understand Actions: Know what each cleanup/optimization does, especially those with warnings (⚠️).
• Use Staging First (Ideally): Test on a copy of your site if possible.
• Low Traffic Times: Run operations when site activity is minimal.
• Monitor After: Check site functionality immediately after operations.

The plugin is designed with safety features (exclusions, safe restore process), but direct database operations always carry inherent risks if precautions are ignored.

Can I use WP Optimal State via WP-CLI?

While the plugin is primarily designed for use through the WordPress admin interface, its database operations use standard WordPress functions that can be adapted for WP-CLI usage. For very large databases experiencing timeout issues, WP-CLI can provide more reliable execution. Check with support for specific WP-CLI integration guidance.

System Requirements

What are the minimum system requirements?

• WordPress: 5.5 or higher
• PHP: 7.4 or higher
• MySQL: 5.6+ / MariaDB 10.0+
• Memory: 128MB PHP memory_limit
• User Role: Administrator
• File System: Writable wp-content/uploads/ (specifically needs to create optistate and optistate-settings subdirectories)

What are the recommended system requirements for optimal performance?

• WordPress: Latest Version
• PHP: 8.0 or higher
• MySQL: 5.7+ / MariaDB 10.3+
• Memory: 256MB+ PHP memory_limit
• Storage: SSD Hosting
• Execution Time: max_execution_time of 60+ seconds (higher for large DBs)

Still have questions? Contact our support team for personalized assistance with your specific use case.